Cervical cancer screenings are critical

No woman should die of cervical cancer. It is highly preventable with regular Pap tests, the human papillomavirus (HPV) test, and a healthcare providerís monitoring and treatment of precancerous changes to the cells of a cervix. The HPV vaccines are effective tools in the prevention of cervical cancer.

Despite remarkable gains in the decrease of cervical cancer mortality, women with poor access to health care services and women from communities of color represent a disproportionate segment of cervical cancer incidence and mortality. The incidence rate of cervical cancer is 34 percent higher in African American women and 64 percent higher in Hispanic women than among non-Hispanic white women. African American women are nearly twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as white women). Rural-urban disparities have also persisted despite overall declines in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates.

The racial and geographic health disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality largely reflect obstacles to receiving health care services related to cancer prevention, early detection, and access to treatment. For over 20 years, the federally funded National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has been working to fight breast and cervical cancer by providing services to more than 4.3 million low-income, uninsured, and underserved women through its 68 programs. Services provided by the NBCCEDP include clinical breast exams, mammograms, Pap tests, pelvic exams, HPV tests, diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal, and referrals to treatment. The NBCCEDP is available to women who are between 40 and 64 years of age for breast cancer screening, women between 21 and 64 years of age for cervical cancer screening, and have an annual income that is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.

The Affordable Care Act will increase access to cervical cancer screening services through expanding insurance coverage and eliminating co-payments. Even with adequate health insurance, many women will continue to face substantial barriers in obtaining cervical cancer screening including geographic isolation, limited understanding of the need for prevention, lack of provider recommendation, inconvenient times to access services, and language barriers.

Inform your mother, daughter, sister, friend, and all women about the importance of routine screening and of the NBCCEDP so that no woman is denied these life-saving services. Breast and cervical cancer screenings and early detection save lives. For more information, contact the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Program at 919-707-5300.

KALI MARSH

Gibsonville

Kali Marsh is a graduate student in social work at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.